In Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai, a 30-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly strangling her six-year-old daughter, Mansi, driven by a preference for a male child, police said. Initially claiming the girl died of ill health, she took the child to a hospital; doctors alerted police after suspicious findings. A post-mortem revealed suffocation, prompting a murder case. During interrogation, the mother admitted to killing her daughter, also expressing unhappiness that the child spoke mainly Hindi and not Marathi and had speech difficulties. She has been remanded in custody as the investigation continues.

The Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognisance of the escalating controversy over its Aravalli Hills definition and mining issues, scheduling a hearing on Monday before a three-judge bench led by the Chief Justice. The move follows nationwide protests by environmentalists and citizens who fear the recent definition — which counts only landforms above 100 m as part of the Aravalli Range — could weaken protections and spur mining. Public outcry and ecological concerns prompted the apex court to re-examine the November verdict amid calls for stronger conservation measures. (PC: India Today)

More Indians were deported from Saudi Arabia than the United States between 2021 and 2025, government data shows. In a written reply, Ministry of External Affairs said deportations were mainly due to visa overstays and labour law violations. Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said illegal border crossings were not a major reason. Saudi Arabia recorded the highest deportations of Indians worldwide during this period. In contrast, deportation numbers from the US remained much lower. The government said Indian missions continue to help affected citizens and ensure their safe return. (PC: AFP)

A strong winter storm covered New York City with its heaviest snow in nearly four years. National Weather Service said Central Park recorded 4.3 inches of snow. Some areas of the state saw over seven inches. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in many counties. Nearly 700 flights were cancelled in the region, data from FlightAware showed. Thousands more were delayed nationwide. Roads were slippery and temperatures stayed below freezing. Authorities activated a code blue to shelter homeless people. Meanwhile, California faced damage from severe storms and flooding. (PC: AFP via Getty Images)

Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said two pollution rules under GRAP-4 will now be permanent. Vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) will not get fuel in Delhi until further orders. Sirsa also said vehicles from outside Delhi that do not meet Bharat Stage VI norms will not be allowed to enter the city. The decision was taken by the Delhi cabinet to curb air pollution. Officials said vehicular emissions are a major cause of poor air quality. Delhi’s air remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday, with AQI near 391. (PC: HT Photo)

The Indian rupee fell sharply in 2025 due to foreign fund outflows and global tensions. It hit a record low near 91 against the dollar. Analysts say 2026 may be better if key factors improve. A possible India-US trade deal could boost investor confidence. Fresh inflows by foreign investors may also support the currency. The Reserve Bank of India has stepped in to stabilise the rupee through bond purchases and swap auctions. Experts also see hope from India’s likely inclusion in global bond indices. This could bring large foreign inflows. Analysts expect the rupee to trade between 89 and 92 in 2026. (PC: Representative Image)

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck off the northeastern coast of Taiwan late Saturday night. The quake hit near Yilan county at a depth of about 73 km, according to the Central Weather Administration. Strong tremors were felt in Taipei, where buildings swayed. Authorities said the quake reached intensity four, which may cause minor damage. The fire department began checks for damage and injuries. No major destruction was reported. Over 3,000 homes in Yilan briefly lost power. Taiwan is prone to earthquakes due to its location near tectonic plates. (PC: News18)

The Election Commission of India has removed over 10.56 lakh names from Assam’s draft voter list. The clean-up was done through a Special Revision exercise ahead of Assembly elections. Officials said names were deleted due to deaths, migration, and duplicate entries. Nearly 4.8 lakh voters were found deceased. Over 5.23 lakh had moved away. Around 53,000 were duplicates. Assam now has 2.51 crore voters, excluding over 93,000 D-Voters. The revision followed door-to-door checks across the state. Voters can file objections till January 22. The final list will be released on February 10. (PC: Representative photo)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Canada on Saturday for talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney. The meeting came after heavy Russian strikes on Kyiv, which killed at least two people and cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes. Carney called the attack “barbaric” and announced $2.5 billion in new aid for Ukraine. Zelenskyy said the strikes show Russia does not want peace. Zelenskyy will speak with European allies later today. He will then travel to Florida to meet Donald Trump to discuss territory and peace talks. (PC: Sky News)

The Supreme Court of India will hear a case on the Aravalli issue on Monday. The court took up the matter on its own. A three-judge bench will examine the new definition of the Aravalli Range and related concerns. The row began after the Centre issued a revised definition. Activists and scientists said it could allow more mining in fragile areas. The court has paused new mining leases for now. It said mining can resume only after a proper plan is made. The government has also stopped new leases and asked experts to mark no-mining zones.